Misaki, a lover? WTF? But she's only in junior high! How can this be? I bet you're thinking along those lines, huh? Well, let's just explore the 'what ifs' or the possibilities, okay? These are my opinions. Remember, flaming is not tolerated.

Kotarou and Misaki

Kotarou is a nice guy. He's thoughtful and loyal 'til the very end. Misaki would be so lucky to have him as a boyfriend. After all, he's stuck by her through thick and thin. And you can tell that his feelings for her are strong. I remember the beach scene (episode 21) all too well. He blushes furiously when he sees her in a one piece white swimsuit. In fact, here's a snippet of their conversation:

K: That swimsuit looks really good.
M: Really? Hikaru! Your swimsuit... He said it looks good!
K: No, I didn't mean...

Anyway, he's also upset whenever Oujirou pays attention to her. Heh. Too bad he never gets to tell her he likes her. Yep. His timing is just, well, off (earlier that day, he's decided that he'd tell her his feelings, but uh, the thing with Ou-sama and Tamayo "ruined" it) :P

The only thing that they have in common, besides Hatoko and Angelic Layer, is their naiveté. He's naive because he doesn't realize that Tamayo has been in love with him for a long time. Similarly, Misaki is oblivious to the fact that Kotarou's blushes might mean something. Personally, even though they might look cute together, I'm not really a fan of this pairing. I don't see any chemistry between them. He'd look better with Tamayo.

Oujirou and Misaki

Oujirou is definitely a bishounen! He's got too many fan girls hounding him (who can blame them?). Anyway, I like this coupling a lot better than the previous one. They're the exact opposites. While he's cool and aloof, she's very expressive of her feelings. Misaki would be the right person to bring him out of his shell (and she does). In episode 22, she gets him to talk about his childhood and his first love (who is really her mother; kinda icky, if you ask me. But then again, he was only a kid so...) And Oujirou is just as passionate as her. He doesn't let Misaki win just because he likes her. In fact, he tries his best to defeat her, not because he's being mean and vindictive, mind you. He just wants to defeat Shuuko and her doll named Athena so badly. (But of course, he loses to Misaki.) That kind of dedication is just impressive. (Even Sai remarks that he's never fought so heatedly before. Misaki is (if not more than) his equal.)

Anyway, Oujirou has other qualities too. He can be quite funny at times. In episode 22, when everyone discovers that the packed lunch that Misaki prepared is exactly the same as Shuuko's, he diverts her attention by giving her something else to eat. You'd have to see how funny his facial expression is. Oh yeah, when he asks her for a second date (and eventually reveals that he's fallen in love with her) at the end of episode 23, you can see (based on the blush on her cheeks) how much this has affected Misaki. And besides, the first time he's been introduced to us (the viewers), the title of the episode is called "Who Are You? Misaki's Heart Pounding Lesson." That's gotta mean something, right?

Oh yeah, let's not forget that Misaki likes him too. And I don't mean just as a friend. At the end of their first date (episode 22), this lady calls them to check out and maybe buy some of her trinkets (y'know, as souvenirs). Misaki blushes when he sees a simple yet elegant ring, but she looks a little dejected when Oujiro chooses a pink rabbit keychain that's beside it instead. Check this out, too. It's their earlier conversation ^^v

Hatoko and Misaki

O.o what am I thinking putting Misaki with a female kindergartner? Well, aside from the gender similarity and age difference, they'd look kawaii together XP I'm not really much into shoujo-ai (although I support Haruka/Michiru and Sai/Kaede couplings), but this pairing is indeed a possibility.

Let's look at the first evidence: Hatoko is not very expressive. On the surface, she's very much composed. She's like a snob, but not really a snob. I mean, the fans can approach her for autographs and stuff, but she's not what you'd call an open book. Even to her brother she acts distant. With Misaki, however, she opens up. (She pours her heart out to the older girl after losing to Sai's Shirahime. She never does this with Tamayo, who's known her all her life.)

Second evidence: she's crushed when Seto Ringo, the ever genki idol, appoints herself as Misaki's second. Hatoko's facial expression is just so sad. She's been hoping that she'll be picked (what she doesn't know is that Misaki is trying to find a way to ask her). And when Misaki finally asks her, she's relieved and excited.

Third evidence: on the very last episode (26) when Misaki is about to duel against her mother, Hatoko asks her to lean down a little. The unsuspecting older girl is shocked when Hatoko plants a kiss on her cheek. An innocent gesture? Maybe. But then again, as I've stated before, Hatoko rarely expresses any emotion, except maybe irritation towards Kotarou. Makes you wonder, huh?